Week 2 felt a little like a minefield. Dodging injury updates and looking at fantasy matchups through squinted eyes hoping you weren’t facing Alvin Kamara. After a little KP from my calls last week we can put that behind us and look forward to Week 3.
The thing about injuries is you can’t be proven right or wrong when they occur. I maintain that Graham Gano was a good call against Washington and that he would have panned out had he not gotten injured trying to make a tackle on the first kickoff of the game. Let me also just say, that’s a team player. I love a kicker that puts it all on the line. Gano was placed on IR on Tuesday. The Giants picked up Greg Joseph to help fill their kicker void.
As for the other two streams last week, Joshua Karty and Matt Prater: Prater delivered 14 points, good for K6 on the week and Karty was a different, more disappointing, story. He put up 4 points in Week 2. I severely underestimated how bad the Rams’ offensive line would be due to injury.
On the fade side of things, Greg Zuerlien and Blake Grupe were held under double digits with 6 and 8 points respectively. Daniel Carlson, however, clearly had a vendetta against me railing against him for two weeks in a row. He finished the week with 18 points and was the K2 on the week. My bad, man.
Kicker streamers
Matt Prater – 7% rostered
We’re going back to the Cardinal well. Arizona looked great in Week 2. Prater has attempted two field goals in each game to start the season and is perfect for the year. (I don’t think I have announcer curse capabilities so he should be fine.) The Cardinals are at home, inside, and while they aren’t favorites in the matchup with the Lions, they have the highest implied point total of any non-favorite in Week 3. Arizona also faces off against Washinton in Week 4, so you can expect Prater to be here again.
Blake Grupe – 6% rostered
I’m willing to admit that I didn’t buy the Saints offense after Week 1 but now? I have no choice but to believe. Grupe had connected on every field goal he’s taken so far this year, including 2 from 50+. New Orleans is hosting Philadelphia inside the Caesars Superdome. The operative word there was inside. In the wake of Philly allowing multiple field goal attempts to opponents to open the season they’ve allowed two double-digit fantasy points performances to the position.
Chase McLaughlin – 5% rostered
Baker Mayfield and the Bucs have been cruising to start the season, as long as that offense is rocking Chase McLaughlin will be a viable kicker option. Tampa Bay are favorites over Denver in Week 3, they’ll be in Denver and outside. Denver has allowed multiple field goal attempts to opponents in their first two contests of the year. McLaughlin has attempted two field goals each the first two weeks of the season and he’s connected on a 50+ yarder in both games, as well.
(Bonus) Cairo Santos – 21% rostered
At 21% rostered, Santos is just out of my criteria but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention him. The Bears still have some growing pains to get through but the Colts are a great matchup for kickers. Chicago is attempting multiple field goals a game, Indianapolis is allowing multiple field goal attempts per game, and they’re inside.
Kicker fades
Chris Boswell and Cameron Dicker
This could turn around and bite me. Dicker and Boswell have both attempted multiple field goals the first two weeks of the season but this matchup holds the lowest over/under in Week 3 at 35.5 total points. Neither team has allowed more than 6 fantasy points to the kicker position.
Jason Sanders
Unfortunately, we all watched Tua Tagovailoa suffer another concussion on Thursday. I’m wishing him a speedy but safe recovery. In the meantime, Miami will turn to Skylar Thompson to head their offense. The Dolphins’ implied point total is only 17.5. This isn’t Thompson’s first rodeo in Miami. He saw playing time in 2022. In games where he attempted at least 15 passes, Jason Sanders finished with 6, 5, 3, and 11 fantasy points.
That’s it for Week 3, here’s to no freak injuries in the first minute of a game.
